Missing boy found living in tiny room behind wall

September 6, 2009|By Greg Jonsson, St. Louis Post-dispatch

BENTON, Ill. -- A boy missing for nearly two years was found alive Friday, hidden behind a wall inside his grandmother's house, and police arrested his mother and grandmother in connection with his disappearance.

The home, in a rural part of Illinois' Franklin County, contained several hiding spots, including a hole in a floor and a hidden area behind a dresser and wall, authorities said. Richard Chekevdia, 6, and his mother, Shannon Wilfong, were found inside a small room hidden behind a wall.

"It was a good day," said Franklin County State's Attorney Tom Dinn. "It was a good day today. I had the honor of calling the father and telling him. . . . He was obviously overjoyed and there was a little bit of disbelief."

"I owe them all a debt of gratitude," he said. "I believe the system works."

Wilfong disappeared along with Richard in late 2007, apparently the culmination of custody disagreements with the boy's father, according to authorities.

Wilfong was charged with kidnapping in December 2007, but authorities couldn't find her. They suspected she was hiding in the area and searched the home of Wilfong's mother, Diane Dobbs, with her consent but didn't find the boy.

With the help of U.S. marshals, new evidence was found that allowed authorities to secure a search warrant to complete a more thorough search, one that didn't require Dobbs' cooperation. That search, conducted about 11 a.m. Friday, turned up Richard.

"We had suspicions where he might be, but we had to compile enough evidence so we could get a search warrant," Dinn said.

Authorities said they don't think Wilfong or the boy left the home in the time they have been sought. Richard may have spent much of the time since late 2007 hidden.

At Friday's news conference, Master Sgt. Stan Diggs of the Illinois State Police described the room where Richard was found as about 4 feet by 12 feet in size, accordin.g to the Benton paper. "For the last two years, that's where they'd been living," Diggs said. "It was amazing."